Improved apparatus for building sod fences



wagon, C, with a hoisting-crane A` a, lig. 1.

liiuited tatee aient @Milne Letters Patent N 97,130, dated November 23, 1869.

*doof- The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame To all llellom. l't-'may concern:

Be it known that I, CYRUS 1V. SMITH, ot' Mol'ris. ville, ill the countyof'Madison, and State ot' New York, have. invented a. new and improved Apl'laratus for Building Sod Fenee: and I do'hereby declare that the ibllowing isa full, clear, and exact, description thereof, which will enable those skilled ill t-he art to ina-ke and nse the same, reference being Ilad to the aceolnpanying drawings, fornlinhr part oi' this spcciti cation, ill which- Figure 1 is a. side view of my invention, and

Figure. 2 is a detail view.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

1n constructingsod ienee, I provide an ordinary 'lhesoll is plowed np ill strips, and entofiinto suitable lengths, alld the wagon is then brought to the proper place, alld the sods hoisted and swungr into position on the fenee by the crane, wil'lrthe greatest readiness and despatcll, the crane having a hoisting-windu a, which is operated by a nlan ou the wagon.

To attaeh the hoisting-rope to the soll, I use a series ot' sharp spikes or hooks, attached to a eonnnon head, as shown by l) in tig. l, alld the spikes, being pushed into a long piece ot' sod, it is Laken up without being brokell, and the connection between the hoisting-apparatus and sod is thus quickly lllade, and the disconnection quiekly nlade, when the sod has been plaeed ill position upon the fence.

flhe wagon is provided with a. frame, B, fig. 2, which Il is three small winehes, b b b. The several guys for holding the crane up are att-ached to these winches, and when the wagon is standing on ulleven ground, the crane is adjusted toa vertical position by slaekening one ot' the guys, and taking,r ill on the opposite one, by its wineh b, and by these lneans'the crane is `lnade to swing freely at all times.

A sled, or other 'suitable vehicle, can be nsed f'or moving the crane along the. lille ot' fence, ill place of the. wagon.

In this manner, much of' the lla-rd labnr'in building sod tenues is avoided, and the work is greatly expedited.

Havin,"lr thus described my invention,

Whatl elaln as new, and desire to secure by Letters 1atent,is

1. The winelles b b, in combination with, and arranged as *described with relation to the guys, erane A (Hand i'ralne B, whereby the erane can always be readily kept. ill vertical position, even it'the ground is uneven, as herein deserlbed.

2. rlhe llerein-deserhedapparatus for building sod fence, consist-ing oi' the. crane A (l, adjusting-guys, and winebes b b, the. sod fork D, frame Il, anda vehicle, C, all constructed, arranged, and operatiner as herein described. l

The foregoing specification signed and executed by lne, this 20th day ofSeptelnber, 1869.

GYRUS W. SMITH.

Witnesses Wn. J. DODGE, F. A. Moliner. 

